Questions and Answers about  Roatan

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Where and what is Roatan?

Roatan is a popular vacation and retirement destination that is frequented by international flights and major cruise lines. It is a sub-tropical Caribbean island about 30 miles off the north coast of Honduras and is a department of the country of Honduras. It is part of a chain of islands called the Bay Islands.

Roatan is approximately 2 miles wide by 30 miles long. There is a main paved road running about two thirds the length of it from west to east. The paved part ends toward the east end of the island (the less inhabited part) and there is a dirt road from there. It is worth traveling over the whole island as there are many beautiful vistas, beaches and other things to see.  

Is Roatan Safe?

In a word, yes. While the mainland of Honduras (only 30 miles away over the water) has significant crime problems in its major cities (not unlike many big cities in North America), there is next to no major crime on Roatan and you can feel safe as you travel to its various parts. The people are generally quite friendly and helpful.

As with any place in the world, use common sense (especially at night in isolated places) and do not wear obviously expensive jewelry or watches or flash large sums of money. While there are very few reports of robberies, why tempt someone? 

Petty theft is a problem on the island as there are many people without jobs and when opportunity is in plain sight some will take advantage.  If you leave a camera, cell phone or other valuables in an unlocked car or unattended elsewhere, do not be surprised if they disappear. Lock your car when you leave it and do not leave valuables unattended at any time.

There are many poor people on the island and you will be asked for money from time to time, even by small children. It is your option how you deal with this. Colibri Villas has plans to contribute to charities that will rid the island of this problem once and for all, but meanwhile, as with many other places in the world, it is a situation.    

How do you get to the island?

There is an international airport on Roatan with frequent flights from Southern U.S. cities such as Miami, Atlanta and Dallas. Most flights coming from northern U.S., Canada, Europe or other locations will have connecting flights through one of these cities. Make sure your flight itinerary takes you straight to Roatan international airport unless you want to visit mainland Honduras first.  There are 3 other international airports in Honduras and flights from outside the country go to all of them.     

Ocean cruise liners also have Roatan as a destination, arriving normally in the morning and staying for half a day. This is one way to see Roatan and get a taste of the ambiance, the people and the weather.  

How do you get around on the island?

There are busses that travel the length of the island for very low prices ($1 gets you pretty far). There are also taxis which are quite inexpensive. You can travel from one town to the next for about $1 to $3 US.  Taxis from the airport are considerable more expensive ($5 to $10 depending on where you want to go).  The airport is right next to the road so instead of taking a cab from inside the airport you could just go outside to the main paved road (50 meters) and cut the price more than half.  You can rent a car at the airport (credit card arrangement) costing about $45 per day for a decent car.  Make sure you look at the car before you rent it as some are in very good shape and some (usually under $30 per day) are not. Note that in Honduras the rental cars are not necessarily insured. Instead of buying insurance, some vendors add an extra 'hold' of $2000 on your credit card in case you have a wreck.   

What is the currency of Roatan and Honduras?

The currency is called LEMPIRAS which are currently about 19:1 with the U.S. dollar. So 1 lempira is worth about 5 cents U.S.  Coins are not much used but there are lempira notes in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500.  Although US dollars are easily accepted anywhere on the island (and on the mainland) it is better to change your money into lempiras and spend those. There are often 2 prices for things in Central America – local prices and ´gringo prices´. Some locals will immediately raise the price if you look American because they assume you have money and can afford more. So carry ´lemps´ (lempiras). Also, if you get a price and feel it is a bit high and want to lower it, just hesitate a bit and they will almost always give you a lower price or discount in a few seconds. On the plus side, there are many beautiful things to buy in Roatan and you will be surprised at the low cost of some things.

How much does gas cost on the island?

Gas is quite expensive at about $4 per gallon. Diesel is less expensive. There are only 3 gas stations on the island: one in Coxen Hole, one in Mount Pleasant and one in French Harbour.  French Harbour is about the middle of the island. There are no gas stations further east than French Harbour so ensure you have enough gas before heading east from there.   

How is the weather? 

The weather in Roatan is normally warm to hot (75F to 85F or about 24C to 32C). The humidity varies but is counteracted by a nice breeze that normally comes off the sea. Fans or AC is a must in your home, thus Colibri Villas condos are equipped with both. Most days in Roatan are sunny, with an occasionally cloudy day.  The sun is often quite hot when you are outside, so usual precautions are in order such as sun hats, sun block lotion and plenty of drinking water. There are beautiful beaches on Roatan, but just make sure you heed the above so you do not get roasted!

 There is a rainy season from about November to February where it rains HARD every few days to almost daily for that period. It is definitely called the rainy season for a reason. In the Caribbean there are not 4 seasons like in North America, there are only 2 seasons - WET and DRY.  The dry season consists of most of the year (March to October or November) at which time it rains maybe once every few weeks for part of a day or sometimes a few days.

 Are there lots of bugs (insects)?

There are not as many bugs as you might think especially during the day, although you need to take the normal precautions of using insect repellent on the beach. Mosquitos are not a major problem in the day in most places but feed early morning and just before sundown. So try to stay indoors at those times or use repellent outdoors. If you are in swampy areas or areas with heavy foliage, expect more mosquitos and use repellent and appropriate clothing such as long, light-cotton pants. At the beaches there is sometimes a problem with sand flies, especially on private beaches. Use repellant and watch out just before sundown!  Sand flies are tiny (like a tiny spot) but their bite can be worse that a mosquito bite and can be quite annoying, especially if you are allergic to them. 

What languages are spoken on Roatan?

Spanish is the official language of Honduras and therefore of Roatan so all legal documents and written material is in that language. English is widely spoken as well and you can get along more or less without knowing a lot of Spanish. But if you are going to be living in Roatan, it is a good idea to know this language as anything you buy here will come with instructions in that language and many people you run into will speak only Spanish. There is also a form of English called Creole or "Island language" that is spoken on Roatan. You can pick up the gist of it although there is much slang and 'modified grammar'.  

How is the political and investment climate? 

The Honduras government is a stable democracy that is investor and business friendly. There are residency types available for retirees, investors and others. There are tax breaks for starting tourism related businesses and the government is generally open to investors coming to Roatan. Projects like Colibri Villas for example provide jobs for people and help the economy. The government is only concerned that you employ 85% or so Hondurans in your business for this reason.